The ESA Leadership Summit - the strategically efficient annual event for company pioneers in the electronic security and life safety industry - has announced it will take the summit experience virtual in 2020 as ESA Leadership Summit Stay Connected. This virtual event will be held Sept 29 - Oct 1, connecting leaders with the content and contacts they need to thrive amidst uncertainty. The summit will still deliver top-notch education, self-selected one-on-one meetings with vendors and purposeful networking events. “Our ESA Members are continuing to drive value to their customers, evolving with safety standards and enriching their services,” says Merlin Guilbeau, CEO of the Electronic Security Association. “We can’t imagine a year without delivering the valuable content and connections that help them do this.” Interactive virtual platform The virtual #ProSecurity event will deliver all the components the industry has come to love about the one-on-one meeting event, driving premier content to the industry’s pioneers in an innovative and responsible way. “Our world today is seeing a digital transformation and it is incumbent on us to evolve along with it,” says Guilbeau. “I’m working with our team to accelerate and further deliver on a digitally enhanced experience for our industry. We’re taking our sessions, networking events and one-on-one meeting experience to an engaging and interactive virtual platform.” From Sept 29 - Oct 1, the Stay Connected virtual version of the ESA Leadership Summit event will deliver presentations and workshops from The Ritz Carlton’s customer experience experts, sales leadership experts and published author of “Leadership Isn’t for Cowards,” Mike Staver. Weinstock and Jackson award The Electronic Security association will also deliver its annual Weinstock and Jackson award presentations on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and will play host to an interactive trivia night on Tuesday, Sept 29. In addition to the networking, presentations and one-on-one meetings with vendors, leaders from integration and monitoring companies will have the opportunity to watch 15-minute Tech and Service Lightning Presentations from the industry’s vendors. This is yet another avenue the summit provides leaders to stay abreast of the latest services that could help them deliver value to customers. “This is what our industry does. We don’t give up. We adapt,” says Guilbeau.

Alcatraz Founder and CEO Vince Gaydarzhiev will be featured in the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) AcceleRISE 2020 virtual conference on Friday, July 31, 2020. The event highlights rising young security professionals under the age of 40. It is designed for tomorrow’s security providers to share their current successes in the field, gain momentum for the future, and connect with other rising stars in the industry. “Our RISE committee has truly outdone themselves in designing an agenda that is relevant, engaging and valuable to young professionals and their career development,” said Matt Feenan, SIA RISE chair. Disruptive Technologies panel discussion The AcceleRISE 2020 panel discussion is focused on Disruptive Technologies and how emerging technologies are providing new opportunities in the security sector. Gaydarzhiev will present at the AcceleRISE event on Friday, July 31, 2020.  Gaydarzhiev’s journey into the security industry came about as a young hardware engineer while working at Apple on hardware prototyping in the iPhone’s FaceID infancy stages. Vince saw how prolific frictionless and secure access control could be managed via a cellphone application. Vince noticed the experience in physical environment was still dependent on badging, turnstiles, and security guards. Gaydarzhiev’s aimed to bring technology to provide more secure access control without the added friction or high personnel costs. Access control platform integration Our goal is to help businesses affordably and seamlessly deliver the highest level of security" Gaydarzhiev went to work developing the Alcatraz Rock platform using 3D facial authentication and AI-based continuous learning and improvement. The Rock works with any access control platform and replaces or augments badging as a credential with facial authentication, 3D sensing, and artificial intelligence to enable highly secure touchless entry into physical locations. The Rock uses passive 3D sensing, machine learning for increased security, and accurate tailgating detection while intelligently enrolling employees as they are badging in, creating a seamless access control experience. Since the Rock also detects masks, it has become the perfect post-COVID solution for businesses that want to deliver touchless security while observing state and local mask mandates.  Latest technology for security Apple was not Vince’s first stint with big tech. He has also worked for some of the most renowned tech companies in the world including Planet and NVIDIA where he designed graphically-intensive solutions for Tesla, BMW, and Audi. Because Gaydarzhiev likes to learn just as much as machines, he has earned advanced engineering degrees from Stanford and the University of Southern California and has a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Central Florida. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and daughter. “I’m honored to be chosen to present at AcceleRISE 2020,” said Gaydarzhiev. “Our customers tell us, and I truly believe, we are revolutionizing access control by delivering a truly autonomous security team on the edge. Our goal is to help businesses affordably and seamlessly deliver the highest level of security with the latest in technology.”

TrackTik Software, the cloud-based security workforce management solution based in Montreal, Quebec, is proud to announce its recent partnership with Rain Instant Payment, a voluntary employer-sponsored benefit, that provides financial wellness tools, and allows employees access to a portion of their wages before payday through its app. With security guard turnover rates reaching as high as 400% in the security industry, it’s important for security companies to be able to offer financial wellness packages to reduce churn. Workforce management automation As part of its 360 solution strategy, TrackTik’s integration with Rain helps security service companies increase employee retention through workforce management automation by giving security officers control over their financial lives and receive the money they’ve earned without having to wait until payday. "TrackTik's 360 robust solution suite and focus on helping security service providers create a value-adding service was consistent with how we were thinking about our merit to the industry. A strategic partnership helps us solidify that strategy," said Jen Terrell, VP of Employer Partnerships at Rain. Improving retention and workforce satisfaction Rain’s mission to regrow individual freedom by giving people control over their income" Simon Ferragne, CEO at TrackTik Software, said, “Rain’s mission to regrow individual freedom by giving people control over their income and finances is another example of how we choose strategic partners who provide added value to our security service clients.” To find out more about the partnership, join TrackTik as they co-host a webinar with Rain to discuss how its cloud workforce management solution’s integration with Rain helps security service companies improve retention and workforce satisfaction. 'Increase Employee Retention Through Workforce Management Automation' is scheduled to take place on August 11 at 2 p.m. EST/ 7p.m. GMT and will be led by Brian Strasser, Senior Director of Partnerships at TrackTik, and Luke Holec, Sales Director at Rain. Improved operational efficiency TrackTik was founded in 2013 and quickly established itself as a pioneer with the mission to build better software so its clients can run smarter businesses. TrackTik's AI-driven technology enables security organizations to connect frontline staff, back office management, and their clients to drive improved operational efficiency, and data insights. TrackTik helps security professionals make automated, data-driven decisions with its cloud-based seamless approach to system connectivity. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with offices in the United Kingdom and Europe, TrackTik offers four integrated suites of tools—Security Operations for Guarding, Back Office Management, Mobile Patrol and Dispatch, and Business Intelligence & Reporting Analytics, to help security service companies follow the progression of guards, reduce manual tasks, lower costs, and demonstrate value.

Boon Edam Inc., a provider of security entrances and architectural revolving doors, announces the release of a recorded webinar, ‘The New Lobby Experience: Creating Safer Entrances for All People,’ co-hosted with Guidepost Solutions, LLC, a global firm offering security and technology consulting solutions. A panel of experts discuss the impact of COVID-19 and pandemics, for the near and long term, on lobby design, the challenges of maintaining security amid new requirements for social distancing and creating a touchless experience inside and around facilities. Security entrance solutions The webinar begins with a topic that has been of importance even before the spread of COVID-19: controlling access at the entry. Tailgating at swinging doors is one of the most common physical security breaches, and it can have devastating consequences. JC Powell and Robert Helena from Boon Edam touch on the results of a recent survey around the perceptions of security professionals on the impacts of tailgating before discussing how different security entrance solutions are used to deter, detect, or prevent tailgating incidents. Nick Miller from Guidepost Solutions discusses elements of design that must be considered in the ‘new lobby' Next, Nick Miller from Guidepost Solutions discusses elements of design that must be considered in the ‘new lobby.’ These include building population assessments, creating separate entry points by role (employees, visitors, vendors and package deliveries), and supporting and reinforcing distancing through the use of queuing space, furniture layout and other elements. Contactless biometric devices The webinar continues with a conversation between Boon Edam and Guidepost Solutions around new and existing technologies, and how they fit into the new lobby design. Some examples include: Entrance configurations: Arranging and adjustment of optical turnstiles to maintain social distancing. Temperature screening: How does the technology integrate with entrance solutions and how are ‘positives’ processed? Touchless entry technologies: Hands-free, automatic security entrances, automated elevator dispatch systems and contactless biometric devices. The webinar concludes with details surrounding on-site and virtual entry evaluations. These evaluations help security professionals identify unsecure entry points around a building or campus and the potential solutions available depending on the organization’s security strategy around tailgating. The evaluation also covers compliance considerations and integration with existing security systems.

PSA, the consortium of professional systems integrators, announces the call for presentations for PSA TEC 2021 is open. Sessions will be selected that serve a variety of disciplines and focus on emerging technologies, critical issues in the industry and tool development to augment attendees’ knowledge base needed to drive the industry forward. “The speakers we secure for TEC every year are the best in the security and AV industries and a key component to the event’s success,” said Anthony Berticelli, vice president of operations at PSA. “Life has drastically changed in 2020 due to COVID-19 and we anticipate our education line-up will look quite different at PSA TEC 2021 to reflect how systems integrators’ businesses are evolving.” Professional systems integrators TEC, presented by PSA, is the premier education and networking event for all professional systems integrators in the security and audio-visual markets. TEC features education and certification programs, networking, and dedicated exhibit hours designed to advance the skills and expertise of industry professionals nationwide. This premier training venue is open to all industry professionals and is designed to meet the educational needs of all employees within an integrator’s organization. PSA is accepting submissions to complete the education program with content that provides knowledge TEC 2021 will be held at the Sheraton Downtown Denver in Denver, CO, May 3 – 6, 2021. PSA is accepting submissions to complete the education program with content that provides knowledge for professional systems integrators in the physical security and pro-AV markets or sessions that will help advance their personal skillsets within their professional disciplines. General education sessions Attendee job functions represented at TEC include cybersecurity, leadership/management, marketing, operations, procurement, sales and technical. Proposals are welcome for both certification programs and general education sessions for the security and pro-AV markets. All sessions must be unbiased with no brand or product emphasis and minimize commercial references and overt branding. Submissions are evaluated based on topic relevance, speaker expertise, and originality of the content. Additional guidelines are provided in the call for presentations submission process. Accepted and approved presenters will receive complimentary registration to TEC 2021 and will have the opportunity to solidify their reputation as an industry resource and subject matter expert while expanding their own professional network and gaining access to strategic partnerships. PSA does not pay honoraria or expenses for accepted proposals.